Table.



G. STEINGRUBER.

TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 14, 1912. 1,084,499. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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G. STEINGRUBER.

TABLE.

Am LIoATIon FILED D120. 14, 1912.

1,084,499. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

I 2 g? at Z 8 avvuewlioz 66076 Jazzy/w GEORGE STEINGRUBER, OF I-IAZLEHURST, MISSISSIPPI.

TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914:.

Application filed December 14, 1912. Serial No. 736,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE STEINGRUBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hazlehurst, in the county of Copiah and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to improvements in extension tables and particularly to the type forming the subject-matter of my copending application, Serial Numher 7 34,558, filed December 2, 1912.

The table forming the embodiment of my invention consists of top sections movable relatively to each other for the insertion of extra leaves, the latter being foldable and normally disposed beneath the top sections when not in use.

The object of this device, as comprehended by the disclosure hereinafter set forth, is the provision of means forfacilitating the operation of the foldable leaves from their in operative positions to their operative places between the top sections when extended, said leaf operating means performing the additional function of supporting the leaves at their hinged portions so that the dowel pins will readily enter the holes of the adjoining top member. In conjunction with the leaf operating means, I employ a novel form of lock for said extra leaves, which coacts with the top sections in such a manner as to positively lock the table in closed, as well as in its several positions with the leaves inserted, and furthermore is of such a construction as to impart a slight movement to the top sections as it is lockingly engaged therewith for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter set forth.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a table constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion being broken away to more clearly show the leaf operating device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section, looking upwardly, and showing thelocking means for the table. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged view showing the leaf operating device. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 4 and showing more clearly the cam carried by the locking lever for imparting movement to the top sections.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referredto by like ence to Fig. 2. that the runner supports a are positioned bet-ween pairs of runners 5 in accordance with the construction which is clearly set forth in my copending application hereinbefore mentioned.

As stated above, the top sections 6 of the table are movable relatively to each other to permit the insertion of one or more of the extra leaves -designated by the numeral 7. These extra leaves are disposed, when in inoperative positions, beneath the top sections 6 and upon the rim supports 2. For this purpose, said leaves 7 are hinged intermediate their lengths so as to be folded in half, the space between the runner supports and runners, 4 and 5, respectively, being such that this is readily permitted. Each of the foldable leaves 7 is connected to the cable construction by my specialform of leaf operating means, now to be described.

Upon the rim supports 2 is mounted a transverse bar or plate 8 provided at proper intervals with eyes or similar bearings 9 secured to said plate 8 by'means of screws or similar fastenings 10, as most clearly seen in' Fig. 5 of the drawings. Mounted in the bearings 9 is the lower armll' of a bent operatin 'member 11, the other arm 11 being secure in similar bearings 9 carried by one section of the foldable leaf 7 The arms 11 and 11" are so mounted in the'bearings 9 and 9', respectively, that a certain amount of lateral movement of the leaf is permitted,

which play permits a slight frictional move ment necessary in the proper positioning of the leaf between the top sections. The operation of a leaf thusmounted will be apparent by reference. to the following description.

When it is desired to insert an extra leaf 7, the top sections 6 are separated the proper distance and the operator then presses lightly in a downward direction upon the contiguous free ends a,a, shown in Fig. 1, slightly overbalancing the leaf and causing the hinged end 6 to rise. The leaf is then opened in its hinge and drawn toward the operator so as to cause the operating member 11 to move on its lower arm 11 pivotally with respect to the top of the table, bringing the member 11 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The movement thus described brings the extended leaf 7 to a position so that its free ends a-a rest upon the stationary rim 3 and said movement is limited by means of a stop or projection 12 against which the operating member 11 abuts when it has reached the position shown in dotted lines above mentioned. Thus the central portion of the foldable leaf is supported intermediate the rim and the leaf is in exact position to register the dowel pins 13 with the holes 14 of the adjacent top section or, as it may be, a contiguous leaf. This leaf positioning or operating means performs a function, in other words, of predetermining the exact position to be occupied by the leaf in its insertion between the top sections, as well as supports said leaf at its hinged portion until the top sections are firmly placed in position thereagainst, which last movement is accomplished by means of the locking device hereinafter described. In addition, it also connects the table construction and the leaf together, in each in-' stance, so that the extra leaves are always in position for convenient manipulation when it is used, as hereinbefore described.

Secured to the rim 3 adjacent to the outer edge of the outermost extra leaves 7 are the lock supports 15 and 16, and mounted in the journal 17 fastened to the central point of each of the supports 15 and 16 is a locking lever 18, the lever 18 being of somewhat S-shape, and provided with a lateral projection or head 19 at its upper portion and a lateral projection 20 extending in the opposite direction from the head 19, the last mentioned projection 20 constituting a handle for the operation of the device. The locking lever 18 is pivotally mounted in the journal 17 and when it is desired to lock the 'top sections of the table positively, said lever is pushed upwardly by the operator until the head 19 enters a recess 21 in the top section 6 directly above said lever. This recess 21 is of a suflicient size to permit movement of the head 19 into an angular position, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, until it engages over a locking plate 22 secured to the top section .6 and covering only a portion of the recess 21. Furthermore, the locking lever 18 is provided on its shankbeneath the head portion with an en largement forming a cam 18 which e11- gages, when the lever is pushed upwardly and turned, with the edge of the plate 22, the turning action thereby imparting to the top section a slight movement. This movement is of asuflicient extent to cause the dowel pins to enter the holes of the adjacent section. Each of the top sections 6 is provided with a plurality of these recesses at proper intervals, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit the locking engagement above described for each leaf inserted, the number of recesses being governed, of course, by the number of extra leaves.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that when the locking lever 18 carried by each support 15 and 16 is operated in the manner above described, the top sections are moved a sufiicient extent to drive home the dowel pins, as above set forth, in addition to the fact that the leaves, if inserted, or the top sections alone, are positively locked from displacement or separation.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in details of construction of the table and the devices hereinbefore mentioned without departing from the spirit of the invention, and within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an extension table comprising top sections movable relatively to each other for inserting extra leaves, a support for said sections, and vertically disposed locking members carried by said support and adapted to be engaged with the top sections to hold the same closed or at predetermined points of extension, each of said members comprising'a top-engaging portion engageable with its adjacent top section for looking upon vertical movement of the locking member, and an independent actuating portion adapted to impart movement to the top section in a horizontal plane and away from the locking member when the latter is rotated.

2. In an extension table comprising top sections movable relatively to each other for inserting extra leaves, a support for said sections, vertically disposed locking members carried by said support andadapted to be engaged with the top sections to hold the same closed or at predetermined points of extension, each of said members comprising a stem, a locking head formed at one end of said stem and adapted to be engaged with its adjacent top section upon vertical movement of the locking member, and a cam formed on said stem adapted to engage the top section upon rotation of the stem and to move said section in a horizontal plane away from the stem aforesaid.

3. In anextension table comprising top sections movable relatively to each other for the insertion of extra leaves, said top sections having recesses formed therein, said recesses being spaced distances corresponding to the distance between the top sections for the insertion of the extra leaves aforesaid, a locking plate partially covering each of said recesses, and a locking lever pivotally mounted upon the table beneath each top section, said lever having a headed portion adapted to enter the recesses aforesaid for engagement over the plate, a handle portion for manipulating the lever and a cam portion intermediate the head and handle portions and engageable with the edge of the plate to impart slight movement to the top section in a direction away from the lever.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

GEORGE STEINGRUBER. WVitnesses:

M. N. HAMILTON, BESSIE HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

